Information and storage retrieval systems

ABSTRACT

IN AN INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, A DATA BASE IN MACHINE-SENSIBLE INDICIA (TAPE CARTRIDGES AT 11, DISKS AT 12) IS ACCESSED BY QUEUE-DRIVEN PLURAL ACCESSORS (CARTRIDGE TRANSPORT OR DISK ARMS) WHICH, IN TURN, COMMUNICATE WITH QUEUE-CONTROLLED PLURAL PORTS (TAPE TRANSPORT OR DISK FILE RECORDING CIRCUITS). A PLURALITY OF INTERVENTING CONTROL UNITS AND PORTS SELECTIVELY TRANSFERS INFORMATION-BEARING SIGNALS BETWEEN A DATA PROCESSOR AND THE DATA BASE. IN A PREFERRED FORM, THERE ARE TWO DATA BASESA FIRST, OR LARGER, DATA BASE STORED ON MAGNETIC TAPE WITHIN MOVABLE CARTRIDGES, AND A SECOND DATA BASE HAVING A SHORTER ACCESS TIME AND PREFERABLY ON A PLURALITY OF DISK FILES EACH PREFERABLY HAVING QUEUE-DRIVEN PLURAL ACCESSORS. DATA CAN BE TRANSFERRED FROM EITHER DATA BASE TO THE DATA PROCESSOR OR BETWEEN THE DATA BASES. ACCESSOR CONTROL USING QUEUING TECHNIQUES MAXIMIZES CARTRIDGE THROUGHPUT FOR ENHANCING INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OPERATIONS BY MINIMIZING ACCESSOR MOTIONS IN A CRITICAL MANNER.

DEFENSIVE PUBLICATION UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE in the application as originally filed. The files of these applications are available to the public for inspection and reproduction may be purchased for 30 cents a sheet.

Defensive Publication applications have not been examined as to the merits 0t alleged lnventlon. The Patent Ofllce makes no assertion as to the novelty of the disclosed subject matter.

PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 19771:

T921,023 INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS William L. Carter, Longmont, and John J. Rhinehart and Henry J. Zentgraf, Boulder County, Colo., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y.

Filed Sept. 4, 1973, Ser. No. 394,371 Int. Cl. G061 15/40, 13/00, 7/22 US. Cl. 340172.5 8 Sheets Drawing. 102 Pages Specification In an information storage and retrieval system, a data base in machine-sensible indicia (tape cartridges at 11, disks at 12) is accessed by queue-driven plural accessors (cartridge transport or disk arms) which, in turn, com municate with queue-controlled plural ports (tape transport or disk file recording circuits). A plurality of intervening control units and ports selectively transfers information-bearing signals between a data processor and the data base. In a preferred form, there are two data bases a first, or larger, data base stored on magnetic tape within movable cartridges, and a second data base having a shorter access time and preferably on a plurality of disk files each preferably having queue-driven plural accessors. Data can be transferred from either data base to the data processor or between the data bases. Acccssor control using queuing techniques maximizes cartridge throughput for enhancing information storage and retrieval operations by minimizing accessor motions in a critical manner.

April 16, 1974 w. CARTER ETAL INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS STORAGE COMPARTMENT WALL ACCESSOR (5603945 PORT {5576282 I STORAGE COMFAIRTMENT WALL MULTLPLEXUR 3572578 & 571685? 7 M 5 mm 6 7 0 2d 7 Pm C E w G w I.- u C n T 5 0 U 4 d T 9 B CU R m m It 0 0 p, X P S E 5 IL w P m DH L S U P H M A M M P D L A 0 6 DH Ll I N 0 C S C 5 E m 5 A 2 L5 L LLILHL :I 2 0n: 6 5 2 6 II) 6 J J [.LLO Du *0 Ia .LL 4 R IL DH 5 fiUTxIL ELE CG SRO AA L 5% W F N s 2 Pu 0 H a A C L a M April 16, 1974 w CARTER ETAL T92L023 INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS 8 Shtaets-Sheet 8,

Filed Sept. 4,

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A ril 16, 1974 W. L. CARTER ET A'- INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 4, 1973 8 Sheets-Sheet 1;

l I 1 1 510RA0E 0011 010111011 WIIXLIL 1 5B 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 1/0 100- w 101 1 Cu I6F Cu DATA 01100555005 DATA 0100551 /4@ ACCUMULATE 0 April 16, 1974 w, CARTER ETAL TQZLOZS INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 1, 1973 8 Sheets-Sheet ENTER F IG 6 5| 4 MOVE REQUESTS 50 DEVICE ALLOCATION (H6 7) m w v co MOVE MODE m WL WR 52 54 5s 58 I Y/ WW1 CONVERSE 0| VERSE L T R'GHT MOVES MOVES MOVES MOVES EXECUTE EXECUTE EXECUTE EXECUTE MOVES MOVES MOVES MOVES April 16, 1974 INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 4, 1973 CENERATE CARTRIDGE MOVE TABLE SORT CARTRIDGE MOVES BY DEVICE ADDRESSES w. L. CARTER 8 Sheets-Sheet I TABLE SELECT MDT/E METHOD WL WR C0 DI H09 FIG. I0 w SEE DESCRIPTION ASSIGN MOVE 00 comm CHECK YES MAKE IT A CURRENT OUEUE ZONE ORDER M V ACCESSORS ALLOCATION AND MOVE MODE April 16, 1974 W- L. CARTER INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 4, 1973 DIVlDE SORTED MOVES INTO TWO MOVE LISTS 8 Sheets-Sheet '1' FIG.8

WALTZ LEFT METHOD 52 NEW MOVE 0o ADDRESSES comm CONFLICT mmm MOVE STOP EXIT

April 16, 1974 w, CARTER ETAL T921,023

INFORMATION AND STORAGE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS Filed Sent. 4, 1973 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG. 9

WALTZ RIGHT METHOD 54 DIVIDE SORTED MOVES INTO TWO MOVE LISTS TRANSFER ADDRESS CONFLICT 

